Castle in the Air

“In fact, almost the only trouble in his life came from his father’s first wife’s relations, who would keep visiting him once a month to point out his failings.”

This quotation explores the familial pressure Abdullah is under, which acts as a microcosm for his sense of helplessness in the face of external forces. The fact that they are currently the “only trouble” he experiences has dramatic irony, as Abdullah will soon face powerful antagonists. Their pressure is ongoing and almost formalized: They come “once a month” without fail. Wynne Jones shows that Abdullah is not close to them—they are a source of irritation, showing that Abdullah wants independence and autonomy over his fate.

“‘Then that would be very instructive,’ she agreed. ‘At least it would give me an excuse to see you again. You’re one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.’”

Flower-in-the-Night pursues “instructive” experiences even if she finds them odd, showing that she is curious about the world and eager to embrace The Importance of Learning from Experience. Her phrasing reveals that she is used to being bound by regulations and social rules, as she needs a formal excuse to see Abdullah again. She naturally judges people by character, not status: She values Abdullah’s kindness rather than his social background. This has some comic irony, as she hasn’t actually met that many people.

“He woke up some hours later with the blinding daylight streaming in through the chinks in his booth. The smell of the day before yesterday’s incense hanging about in the air struck him as cheap and suffocating.”

The “blinding” light suggests it is overwhelming, capturing the experience of suddenly waking up and the unpleasant shock of the real world compared to the garden. This juxtaposes against the peaceful darkness of the garden in the previous pages. The artificial and stale smell also contrasts with the soft fresh flowers of garden. Earlier, Abdullah praises the smell of the incense, showing how his dreams and his vision of a different life with Flower-in-the-Night change his perception of his reality—he likes it less in comparison. The chinks in his booth emphasize his humble status, which also juxtaposes against Flower-in-the-Night’s rich palace and garden.

“He made me vow that I would never marry until Fate had placed me above all others in this land.”

Abdullah’s capitalization of “Fate” personifies it as a powerful force exercising control, showing his respect for this notion. His statement is also laden with irony—Abdullah relies on the idea of a vow being inviolable, while lying about it. This shows his quick thinking and his determination to carve out his own fortune, as he uses the prophecy to get out of his family’s intended fate for him. The prophecy is interpreted by him and his family in a positive way but is phrased ambiguously, setting Abdullah up for his later realizations that he has to engineer exactly what it will mean.

“‘Because, if you will forgive further criticism of your great wisdom, oh nurturer of our nation, this seems somewhat unfair on your daughter,’ Abdullah observed.”

This quotation shows Abdullah’s bravery in the face of physical threat: Although the Sultan is threatening to torture and execute him, he asserts “further criticism.” This also illustrates his loyalty to Flower-in-the-Night and the lengths he is willing to go to stand up for her right to make her own choices, invoking Personal Agency Versus Fate. Given the heightened stakes, the fact that he retains his flowery and polite manner of speech shows how inherent these qualities are to his character. His language is poetic in tone, using the exclamation “oh” and hyperbole to offer faux flattery of the Sultan. These rhetorical devices are comedically juxtaposed against his real meaning, which is critical.

“He tried to stave off despair with his daydream. But somehow, thinking of himself as a prince who had been kidnapped helped not at all.”

This quotation shows the role daydreams used to play for Abdullah, speaking to the theme of Navigating the Lines between Fiction and Reality: They were once a source of escapism, but now that he has things he wants in the real world, they don’t help. Remembering that he presented himself as a prince reminds him that he presented a fictional image of himself to her, which juxtaposes against his current powerlessness stuck in a dungeon.

“The genie was not exactly tapping his foot, since he had no feet to tap, but there was something about his looming, louring blue face that suggested there would be two more toads by the pool if he had to wait much longer.”

Wynne Jones creates humor by personifying the genie, using the visual metaphor of someone tapping their foot to encapsulate his wordless threat. This also shows that the genie is not just a mystical, magic being but has a human personality: He is grumpy and impatient. The threat of being turned into a toad further heightens the stakes for Abdullah in an already precarious situation, and it also illustrates the genie’s power and willingness to cause mischief. The toads also form an important motif in the text (See: Symbols & Motifs).

“The earth seemed to spin past under Abdullah’s running feet. Shortly after, he seemed to be taking vast loping strides across lands that were whirling forward to meet him.”

This quotation uses motion verbs to create pace: “[S]pin,” “running,” “loping,” and “whirling.” These suggests the urgency of his movement, creating a sense of the imminent danger he is fleeing. The expansive imagery shows the scale of Abdullah’s journey, as the whole “earth” and many “lands” are passing him, not just roads or towns. This encapsulates the fantastical nature of Abdullah’s magical transport and shows that he is traveling away from his homeland into the unknown, ready for the next adventure. This description recalls the way the magical boots work in Howl’s Moving Castle, hinting that the genie’s magic may be connected to this story.

“He found himself staring into a pair of round limpid blue eyes, as honest as the day is long.”

The image of the round eyes is suggestive of a childlike innocence. This description juxtaposes against Abdullah’s first impression of the soldier as a dishonest ruffian. The phrase “found himself” indicates his surprise at this sudden switch. This disconnect throws a question mark over either of these contrasting impressions, suggesting that Abdullah’s observations are not necessarily to be trusted. This hints at the wider theme of Navigating the Lines between Fiction and Reality, suggesting that appearances can be deceptive. The soldier’s apparent innocence foreshadows how skilled he is in carrying out his scheme—even Abdullah is sucked in.

“I understand you now. Nothing will stop you taking a romantic view of life. You’ll be wanting shining armour for your next wish.”

The genie observes Abdullah’s tendency to romanticize situations, recalling his tendency to daydream. He uses the trope of a knight in shining armor to observe that Abdullah sees himself as a fairytale hero, creating a moment of metafictional humor as Abdullah is the protagonist of the book. His assumption that the soldier needs help mirrors his assumption that Flower-in-the-Night needs his help; in reality, both are very capable of looking after themselves. Wynne Jones shows that while Abdullah sees himself at the center of a fairytale, others don’t, as they have their own stories.

“Instantly, the cat was standing on the overhanging rock again, making that iron pulley noise, anger and worry in every line of its small black body.”

Wynne Jones uses the word “instantly” to create a sudden switch, reflecting rapid action. This illustrates Abdullah’s alarm at the cat, but also the cat’s alarm at him and the defensive nature of its behavior, something Abdullah gradually learns to recognize. Wynne Jones personifies the cat to create sympathy for it, as it feels “anger and worry” through its whole body. This also foreshadows that Midnight is actually Sophie. The aural metaphor of the “iron pulley” shows this fierceness by emphasizing the terrible sound it makes, reflecting Sophie’s forceful and determined personality as a human.

“They rushed forward, crunching bluebells, suffused with the strange wild scent of them. Abdullah could have believed, but for the grey pouring rain and the shouts of the constables, that he was running over the floor of heaven. He was rapidly back in his daydream.”

In the image of the “grey pouring rain” Wynne Jones uses pathetic fallacy to highlight how dire the situation is for Abdullah and the soldier. The description of the bluebells’ scent as “strange” and “wild” reflects the fact that his adventures are not turning out how he envisaged: He is being exposed to a new world that is exciting, dangerous, and unfamiliar. Though he escapes to his daydream, his imagination is also fed by his real-life adventures, as he now wants the beautiful bluebells to feature in his imagined future. The image of them as the “floor of heaven” shows that he sees them as part of a bigger picture of projected perfection.

“He knew something had happened, but he did not seem to have much of a brain to think with.”

Abdullah has been turned into a toad, which reflects the toad motif in the novel (See: Symbols & Motifs). Wynne Jones maintains ambiguity about exactly what has happened to build suspense and jeopardy for Abdullah. The italics for the word “something” stresses Abdullah’s ignorance of the nature of the change and also emphasizes that whatever it is, it is significant. The fact that he doesn’t have “much of a brain” and cannot think normally adds to the strangeness of the situation, allowing the narrative to mirror his confusion and to depict the world from the perspective of a toad.

“But none of the rest have proved determined enough—which surprises me somewhat because you were certainly never my main irons in the fire, either of you.”

This quotation reveals the scale and complexity of Hasruel’s machinations, as he has laid many different plots in motion. The colloquialism “irons in the fire” shows that he is dynamic and active, planting seeds as he waits for his plots to come to fruition later down the line. The imagery of this phrase also has violent, powerful connotations, showing that he is dangerous. However this also illustrates that Hasruel is not all-powerful and cannot govern people’s choices: The dejected lovers are not acting as he anticipated, reflecting Personal Agency Versus Fate. This hints that Abdullah has a chance of triumphing, as he is capable of surprising Hasruel with unexpected choices. Wynne Jones also offers a hint at the soldier’s identity as Hasruel reveals he too is factored into his plans, suggesting he may have had a relationship to one of the princesses.

“The inn the carpet found for them, near the great marble buildings at the centre of Kingsbury, had been plastered by a master in raised designs of fruit, which had then been painted in the most glowing colours with much gold leaf.”

The carpet takes the group right into the heart of Kingsbury, showing that they are in the heart of the action, surrounded by magic, and right on location for Hasruel’s next plan. The craftsmanship of careful design and the material wealth of gold conveys Kingsbury’s wealth. The imagery of the fruit suggests abundance through its connection to a flourishing natural world; even the word “leaf” has these connotations. The way everything glows indicates the literal magic that surrounds them. These descriptions also suggest that their quest will be fruitful here.

“This endeared the wizard to Abdullah even more. The one thing which had prevented him getting up and shutting the door was a fear that it might be the custom here to leave your front door open in a crisis.”

This quotation humorously encapsulates Abdullah’s culture shock: Ingary is so alien to him that even something apparently illogical seems plausible here. This also gives insight into Abdullah’s character, as he is so respectful and polite that he does not want to make assumptions or impose his own cultural rules, even when he finds something very odd. However, he quickly takes a liking to the wizard when he relates to him, showing his open character and his capacity for warmth.

“Every time one of the mirrors caught Abdullah’s eye, it showed the framework of rods glowing with silvery light in a new pattern—a star, a triangle, a hexagon, or some other symbol angular and secret—while the real rods in front of him did not glow at all.”

The spell brings human magic into the plot for the first time, rather than magical objects. The use of mirrors captures the idea of an illusion, or a gulf between appearance and reality. The fact that things look different in the mirror highlights that Midnight is not what she seems. The magic is depicted as mystical and otherworldly, with imagery like “glowing” and “silvery.” The list of shapes creates the suggestion that magic is a mix of art and mathematical precision: It has its own logic, and is a craft that Suliman and Lettie work on.

“The carpet was sailing through dark emptiness, up and up, and Abdullah knew that if he had been alone he might have been screaming.”

This quotation creates atmosphere, using the image of vast space and height. The word “sailing” indicates their expansive journey, and the word “up” is repeated to emphasize how high they are going. The “dark emptiness” shows they are journeying into the unknown, while their frightening physical surroundings reflect their terrifying mission. This shows the bravery of Abdullah and Sophie as they continue their quest through this environment, emphasizing the value of companionship as they find strength and solace in each other’s presence.

“Here the carpet fell to the ground, limp as a dishrag, where it stayed. It had little shivers running through the length of it, as a carpet might that was shaking with fear, or panting with effort, or both.”

The simile of the dishrag stresses the carpet’s magical quality and its spirit by contrasting it to a domestic item. It is a reminder of the extraordinary nature of the carpet’s powers, because if it couldn’t move, it would just be an ordinary piece of cloth. The carpet’s physical movements and Abdullah’s interpretation of them personifies the carpet—it feels fear and the strain of effort. This emphasizes that the carpet has a distinct persona, suggesting it is brave as it has had to overcome struggle to get here. The human-like description of the carpet foreshadows the reveal that it is Calcifer.

“‘Don’t you know’, he thundered, ‘that there is almost no magic that will stop a child in this kind of temper?’”

This quotation comically juxtaposes normality with magic, placing a child’s temper tantrum alongside the powerful djinns. This comedic moment suggests that there are laws of nature that transcend genre and are inevitable even in fantasy: The child’s tantrum is more powerful than the djinn’s magic. The humor is heightened as the powerful nature of Hasruel is emphasized with his thundering voice, contrasting with his helplessness to act.

“Her clothes were now crushed and a little tattered. Abdullah had no doubt that every crease, every three-cornered tear, and every hanging thread meant some new thing that Flower-in-the-Night had learnt. Fit to rule an empire indeed!”

Flower-in-the-Night’s damaged clothes act as a physical embodiment of her journey and the challenges she has overcome, showing how she has embraced The Importance of Learning from Experience. They symbolize her qualities of toughness and strength of mind. In this moment, Abdullah sees her outside of her role as a beautiful, formal princess, and instead sees her personality. He admires her qualities as a real person even more than her princess persona. The fact that he sees her as “fit to rule” contrasts with her father’s attitude that she is just a political pawn: Abdullah does not just see her as a passive wife or love interest, but instead recognizes her ability to lead.

“Dalzel at once burst into melting blue tears. ‘It’s not fair!’ he wept, and stamped his foot on the throne.”

This quotation presents the villain as pathetic and childlike, throwing a tantrum, which is juxtaposed against his supernatural status through his “melting blue tears”—they are both magical and a human response. The fact that he stamps on the “throne” specifically contrasts his childish behavior with the power he has exercised. The quote captures his expectation that everything should revolve around him and illustrates the danger of someone like him exercising power: He is motivated by self-interest and a false notion of fairness, which is actually his own entitlement at the expense of other people. The “melting” quality of his tears suggest they are futile—he has been defeated.

“He was richly dressed in a suit of mauve satin, against which his hair showed a rather improbable shade of yellow. Abdullah stared at the wizard’s light eyes in the wizard’s bony face.”

The details of Howl’s appearance reflect his vanity. The “improbable” color of his hair implies that he dyes it, and recalls Howl’s Moving Castle, in which he is obsessed with having perfect hair. The mauve shade ties him to the genie, who appeared the same color. The repetition of the word “wizard” as Abdullah stares emphasizes his shock at the reveal. The description of his eyes and face stresses his reality as a solid human compared to the shifting smoke of the genie in the bottle.